Family Law in Australia? It’s broken and Turnbull won’t listen

Barry Williams is National President of Lone Fathers Association of Australia Inc. Here he talks about the system, what’s going wrong and Turnbull’s disgraceful silence…

By Corrine Barraclough

First man in Australia to get custody

My wife left home in 1973, leaving me with four small children. The youngest was one, the other three were all under 13. In 1975 I was awarded custody of my children. The judge said I was the more stable parent. He said at the time, ‘You’re the first man in Australia to win custody of their children under the 1975 Family Law Act.’

A group called Parents Without Partners was established in Canberra in 1974. I was part of the group and became president of one of the branches but it was a non-political organisation and I couldn’t lobby government under their constitution at that time.

I saw injustices in the family law arena so I established The Lone Father’s Association Australia (LFAA) as a voice for equality in Family Law and social security as it was called then.

My first success came in 1977. I placed a tent embassy on the lawns of Parliament House (Old Parliament House) and went on a five night, six-day hunger strike to have the single mum’s benefit changed to the supporting parent’s pension. This allowed dads with children the same benefit if any of them were put in the same situation as me.

Malcolm Fraser became Prime Minister and said if I ended the strike I’d get a meeting with him. So I did. Before that, there was no help for fathers. I know that because there was no help for my kids and me.

Family Law system in Australia

I received telegrams of congratulations from Ministers and Senators, and LFAA grew. In 1980 I was awarded the Queens British Empire Medal he B.E.M. I established branches in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and SA, then Tasmania, NT, a total of 21 branches. The government made us a Peak Body.

We were receiving thousands of requests for help from men, women and children including grandparents, uncles, aunts and partners. One year we toped 32 thousand calls. Hundreds of these calls were threats of intended suicide. It was so bad I knew I had to immediately get training in suicide prevention.

I’ve seen the struggle and suffering

I’ve got blood on my carpet in this office. A man came in whose partner had stabbed him in the shoulder. He refused to go to the police to make a report. I did suicide counselling training early on to be able to cope with situations that arise. I’ve taken a rope off from around a man’s neck. I’ve taken a man out of his car when he had the garage closed and was going to take his life. I see the desperation building.

Now? The system is broken

It’s nothing but a moneymaking racket. When you’ve got a system that’s making $24 billion a year, someone’s making a lot of money out of it. Lawyers are making money and the courts can’t cope. Judges tell me they can’t cope.

John Howard improved the system. I was proud to be involved as a consultant helping with that. He was the only one who had the wisdom and courage to make crucial changes.

Turnbull won’t even reply

When Turnbull announced he was going to give $200 million towards violence against women, I wrote to him. I said, ‘You can’t do that. It’s public money, you can’t take sides.’ Last year I was asked to speak at three conferences; one in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. They wanted to hear about my experience and how I’d worked with the government for all these years. But all three of them refused when I said I wanted to talk about violence against men, women and children. They wouldn’t let me say it. They will only talk about violence against women. It’s an outrage. It’s not the truth.

I’ve written to Turnbull three times, I haven’t had a reply. I told him he will lose votes to Pauline Hanson and Nick Xenophon. People can see what’s going on. But this government can’t afford to lose the feminist vote. People have to start speaking up.

Why I have to speak out

I’ve worked tirelessly since the 1970s in this area. I haven’t spoken out because I get a bit of government funding to help run this place. It doesn’t pay for staff; we have a bit towards running costs. I can’t stay quiet anymore.

The government has to listen. We have to make them.

There is terrible violence against women and children, no one is denying that, but it’s not all one-way. People are desperate. Men are taking their lives because they can’t see their kids. I have to speak up.

Lone Fathers Association of Australia

We run programs here, family courses. We try to encourage mums and dads to treat their children the way they should. Even when parents break up, it shouldn’t affect the children. Children need their fathers as much as they need their mothers. www.lonefathers.com.au

In America, where the non-custodial parent voluntarily agrees to terminate his or her parental rights (in other words, signing over parental rights voluntarily), child support obligations typically cease.

This means that the non-custodial parent would no longer be responsible for past unpaid or future child support payments.

In Australia, we are forced to pay child support even when our parental rights are removed by the Court. How is this different from having to pay for a stranger?

we should lobby for a new legislation where if the court removes our parental rights then it follows that child support responsibilities are ended.

This will stop women from lying in Court to maximise their child support payments.

on another note this will promote fairness. You have to pay for your child if you have a say in their lives, if you have no say, you dont need to pay as they are no different to a stranger!

Antonio

gary commented
2017-08-03 05:57:04 -0400

as a father or two women – one in their late twenties and the other in their early thirties – i was told by career women in their fifties who didnt have children but were legal aid experts that they knew the best time – for my son ( from a second relationship ) who was four – to spend more time with me…..he was in no danger and was loved by his stepsisters dearly but i was denied any time other than once a fortnight coz the childless expert knew better… !!! they didnt like it when I said they had no idea and life isnt in a book…. they dont care about either the children or their fathers – they just care about telling everyone what to do – even if they have no experience or any idea….no wonder men are choosing suicide….

Buddy Rojek commented
2017-07-12 09:04:04 -0400

The first grass roots political party that sets to redress the balance and look out for the kids. Read their policy on Family law changes. They have my support!

The family court is not biased on gender. They fixed the legislation in that respect in the early to mid 1980’s. Here is how.

The initial family law act ( 1975 ) had penalty provisions for breaches. They read something like this. If some one refused to abide by a court order HE will be fined/imprisoned. If any appeal is launched the costs of a lost appeal will be paid by HIM….and so on an so forth. The act used the masculine HE and HIM as the target of court action to penalise….never HER or SHE. Our wise leaders in the federal parliament, reacting to ( deserved ) criticism of that court ( star chamber actually ) decided that whilst they would not recognise or act in relation to the mass Suicide of Men and Fathers, so obvious from the outset of this court, they would steadfastly do something about the dead set give away targeted masculine personal pronouns riddled throughout the original act ( and giving away the real intent of the legislation and the court) .
They moved amendments to the act to replace “HIM and HE”……with ( wait for it!!!!!!! ) “The Person”…..That my friends is how our over paid and unaccountable politicians corrected the gender bias in the act. Good Work Huh? And the court is guided nowadays by “gender neutral” legislation. Oh how lucky we are to live in a Democracy.

Bund Wand commented
2017-07-06 08:35:42 -0400

As the Misandry increases so will MGTOW.

Steve Wickenden commented
2017-07-05 17:29:55 -0400

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Thank You Barry. The Family Court is not child -focused. It impoverishes children. All that cash that is stolen in this system is resources that is stolen from children’s futures. Fathers are broken. When Men are broken, they do things they normally would not. when men have no power they kill themselves, they can lash out with violence. If the Family Court was abolished and replaced with child -focused ideals, we would see a massive reduction on Male suicides and violence. I enjoyed your talk at this years ICMI17.

Michael commented
2017-07-04 23:31:18 -0400

The video clearly shows that since Pauline Hanson did the deal with the Liberal Party she has gone from wanting to get rid of the Family Court entirely and 50/50 parenting to wanting to give more money to the existing system and go with dad as a second rate weekend only parent.

Anyone who was thinking to vote for her might as well vote for the Liberal party.

Voters should not get fooled, Pauline Hanson is now just another pollie !

George Lyndon commented
2017-07-04 21:43:22 -0400

It is so true.

Scott Turner commented
2017-07-04 20:14:01 -0400

Pauline hanson Published on May 17, 2017 on the same subject she waffles a bit at the beginning but at least she talking about it unlike others. Mark latham has spoken about and he is running in the next election. I am a bit disappointed that Senator Cory Bernardi is not.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLvqjU1-hO0

Michael commented
2017-07-04 19:45:13 -0400

My submission to the federal government’s current inquiry into family violence was rejected because it contained evidence of female violence to children. Please help get my submission and any others that the government is too shy to publish, published. Another great submission that I know about which should be published exposes the United Nations findings that the Australian Government has breached human rights.

These Inquiries should be public and not just cherry pick the submissions that suit the government.

Scott Turner commented
2017-07-04 19:21:35 -0400

Barry is 100% correct when he said “he will lose votes to Pauline Hanson and Nick Xenophon”. As soon as One nation released their policy on family law it changed my vote. Julia Gillard reversed all of howard’s reforms by removing perjury from family law. Her old employers Slater & Gordon are benefiting from that change in family law after the courts need to investigate every false allegation. As a result slater & gordon are getting a big chunk of that $24 billion dollar industry. After gillard came now Malcolm Turnbull that saw votes in demonising men and reintroducing the “Duluth” theory of domestic violence programs. A debunked feminists ideology even by its own primary creator Ellen Pence. We have only 2 studies into male suicides that investigated all deaths in one state and there was a clear correlation to separation as the primary reason for male suicide.

I am sick of the blatant political narrative pushed by the media and believe that we cannot just continue talking about it. I believe men need to do more than just change their votes, we need some to go to lengths that Barry did to get the single parent pension for both sexes without discrimination. I think we need to get a ladder and put on our superman custom and start climbing on politicians roofs, it is the only reason why there is traction in the UK.

Truly an issue that requires the attention of the right people to resolve this massive issue. Lets take this all the way!!

Frank Simonson commented
2017-07-04 17:28:21 -0400

You are another unsung hero Barry. There is no excuse for violence no matter what sex, and as a doctor I know domestic violence is not only about men being perpetrators. Malcolm Turnbull is a fluffy and not interested in doing something difficult. He is all about being seen to be Prime Minister rather than being Prime Minister.